Stefano Fumagalli

I was seven years old when it all began. There was this mysterious presence in our home: my father's guitar. It was almost like a sacred object, hidden away in a wardrobe on the second floor of our house like a buried treasure. Dad could play exactly two songs - yes, you read that right, just two: "The House of the Rising Sun" and "Smoke on the Water" - and when he occasionally performed them awkwardly, repeating these hits on loop, my brother and I would always tease him a bit. But that guitar fascinated me; the ability to create sounds by plucking strings seemed almost supernatural. I still remember opening the creaking wardrobe doors, my hands sliding between winter coats and clothing until I'd grab the instrument, then sitting on the room's carpet, playing around randomly, tapping the strings and the soundboard, watching my reflection distort in the glossy wood of its body.

It was during a late summer afternoon that the magic happened. I was fumbling with the guitar, pressing frets and mistreating the strings, when suddenly... BAM! A sound perfectly coincided with the theme song of a cartoon on TV (almost certainly "Capitan Tzubasa", though my memory might be playing tricks). It was an instant revelation, like Newton's apple falling on my head.

In the following days, I became a tiny musical stalker. I'd abandon homework, games, snacks - everything! - to rush and grab the guitar as soon as I heard the start of the theme song. I'd wait with anticipation for that precise moment in the chorus to play that single, glorious chord. I felt like a music god. Absolute power in my small hands!

Then September arrived, and with it a notice in the school lobby that would change everything: "Afternoon Guitar Course". It was the first time I asked my parents for something with full awareness: "Mom, I want to take the guitar course!" Now, you have to understand I was the typical hyperactive child. Sitting still was torture, and if I had to choose between a book and rolling in a field... well, the choice was obvious. Life was movement! My mother, understandably skeptical, wouldn't have bet a penny on my consistency. But oh, how wrong she was! It was love at first sight. Taming notes and chords, learning songs, deciphering sheet music... it was like having a superpower. I even started waking up early to play a bit before school. What a transformation!

Since then, the guitar has been my faithful travel companion. It has followed me through adventures, travels, friendships. It has become a symbol of my work. What a marvelous instrument! But when recently one of my favorite acoustic guitars fell, suffering a nasty fracture to its headstock, I felt something break inside me too. Only then did I realize how deep my emotional bond with these instruments was.

Fortunately, my trusted luthier,Francesco De Gregorio, like a skilled surgeon, brought it back to life. Talking with him, I discovered something fascinating: some of the guitars he builds, though similar in their final construction, evolve differently depending on the owner. It's as if the way of playing, the storage environment, and the repertoire performed influence the instrument's performance. The guitar and the musician grow together, in a kind of harmonic symbiosis.

The guitar is a living instrument, the only one you completely embrace to play. It's an extension of our body, an amplifier of our emotions. Dear guitar, thank you for everything you've given me and will continue to give me. I hope our love story is destined to last a long time, through ups and downs, laughs and tears, always accompanied by the sweet sound of your six strings.

Science Confirms - Guitar is Good for You!

If my personal story hasn't convinced you of the guitar's benefits, perhaps science will. An interesting study published in 2021 in the Journal of Neuroscience shed new light on the advantages of learning this instrument, especially for children.

The research, titled "Increased Functional Connectivity in the Default Mode Network after Guitar Training in Children", conducted by a team of neuroscientists led by Dr. Marie-Stéphanie Caune from the University of Montreal, examined the effects of guitar learning on children's brain development.

The study involved 30 children aged 7 to 9, divided into two groups: one received guitar lessons for 6 months, while the other followed the standard school program. Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), researchers observed significant changes in the young guitarists' brains.

The results were surprising:

1. 1. Cognitive Skill Enhancement: Children who learned to play guitar showed improvement in problem-solving abilities and creative thinking.
2. 1. Motor Coordination Increase: Learning guitar led to significant improvements in hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity.
3. 1. Greater Brain Plasticity: The study revealed increased neuronal connections in brain areas associated with creativity and emotional well-being.
4. 1. Social and Emotional Development: Researchers noticed improvements in self-esteem and social interaction skills among children learning guitar.

Dr. Caune commented: "Our results suggest that learning guitar not only promotes musical development but has a positive impact on various aspects of a child's cognitive and emotional development."

These scientific findings confirm what many guitarists have always known intuitively: the guitar is not just a musical instrument, but a powerful tool for personal growth. Whether you're a child or an adult, a beginner or an expert, remember that every time you pick up a guitar, you're doing good not just for your soul, but for your brain too!